INTB 2205 Syllabus

Fall 2023 INTB 2205 1 NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY INTB 2205: Business Decision Making in Developed Country Environments Section 2: Tuesday and Friday 9:50-11:30am; Cargill Hall 094 INSTRUCTOR CONTACT Instructor: Assistant Professor Kevin Chuah (pronouns: he, his, him) Email: [email protected] (please include "INTB 2205" and your name in the email subject line) Office: Hayden Hall Room 313D Office Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday over Zoom by appointment (book using Calendly ; email me if these times do not suit you or if you would like to meet in person) COURSE OVERVIEW INTB 2205 " Business Decision Making in Developed Country Environments " is designed to develop students' understanding of the practical challenges and opportunities faced by managers of organizations that seek to expand their operations in developed country contexts. As part of this, we will consider how companies can grow their profitability through international expansion, improve the efficiency of their global operations, and the environmental and social impacts of their decisions. To do so, the course will provide ample opportunities for students to critically evaluate the decisions made by managers of companies and other organizations that have expanded beyond their domestic market. We will do this through case discussions and other examples of the practical decisions made by managers. Meanwhile the group assignment will put you in the driver's seat: you will choose a company to research and then prepare a briefing document for their board of directors outlining what the company should consider when expanding to a developed country chosen by your team. We will also consider how students can best position themselves for a career in international business. The course is paired with INTB 2206 " International Business Decision Making in Emerging Markets " (led by Prof. Ruth Aguilera) which focuses on the unique business-related aspects of developing countries. Together, the courses are designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the core concepts that underlie the decisions made by businesses in the modern global economy. COURSE OBJECTIVES By the end of the course, students will learn: 1. How managers of global organizations develop and implement international business strategies to increase profitability in developed countries 2. How digital strategies can be used by managers to efficiently cater to consumer demand 3. How businesses manage crises and complexities that are an inherent feature of an increasingly competitive and interconnected global marketplace 4. How companies in developed countries impact their stakeholders through their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), sustainability, and corporate political activities

Fall 2023 INTB 2205 2 SUMMARY CLASS SCHEDULE Session Module Date Format Pre-Class Readings and Preparation 1 A: International Business Strategy Friday September 8 Seminar ▪ International strategy summary ▪ Hill Chapter 13 2 B: Decision Making in Developed Countries Tuesday September 12 Seminar ▪ Pre-Class Quiz ▪ Faire podcast (up to 33:50) 3 Friday September 15 Case Discussion ▪ Pre-Class Case Analysis ▪ Case: Lavazza ▪ Starbucks article 4 C: International Digital Strategy Tuesday September 19 Seminar ▪ Pre-Class Quiz ▪ Tom Hovey blog ▪ Correani et al. SMR article ▪ Squarespace podcast (up to 34:57) 5 Friday September 22 Case Discussion ▪ Pre-Class Case Analysis ▪ Case: Marriott 6 D: Global Production and Supply Chains Tuesday September 26 Seminar ▪ Pre-Class Quiz ▪ Ivanov et al. Chapter 1 ▪ Darrell West article ▪ Mini article 7 Friday September 29 Case Discussion ▪ Pre-Class Case Analysis ▪ Case: Toyota ▪ Computer chip shortage video 8 E: DEI in International Business Tuesday October 3 Seminar ▪ Pre-Class Quiz ▪ McKinsey article ▪ Washington HBR article ▪ Beach & Segars SMR article ▪ Arwa Mahdawi TED Talk 9 Friday October 6 Case Discussion ▪ Pre-Class Case Analysis ▪ Case: SheaMoisture 10 F: International Business and Sociopolitical Issues Tuesday October 10 Seminar ▪ Pre-Class Quiz ▪ Nallick et al. AMP article ▪ Usher & Jick Fortune article ▪ Exxon lobbying video 11 Friday October 13 Case Discussion ▪ Pre-Class Case Analysis ▪ Case: Chick-fil-A 12 G: Sustainability as an International Business Strategy Tuesday October 17 Seminar ▪ NO Pre-Class Quiz ▪ Kiron et al. SMR article ▪ Grain de Sail podcast (also available as an article ) ▪ Bakkafrost article 13 Friday October 20 Case Discussion ▪ NO Pre-Class Case Analysis ▪ Case: Patagonia ▪ Circular economy video

Fall 2023 INTB 2205 3 MUTUAL EXPECTATIONS As the instructor of this course, I commit to: 1. Being in class on time 2. Interacting with all students respectfully and fairly 3. Responding to emails within 24 hours on weekdays (within 48 hours on weekends) 4. Grading weekly coursework within 6 days of submission 5. Being available to provide open and honest feedback 6. Making the course as practically relevant as possible As a student participating in this course, I expect students to: 1. Be in class on time 2. Interact with the instructor and other students respectfully and fairly 3. Engage with assigned readings and other course materials prior to each class 4. Undertake all coursework honestly and with integrity 5. Submit coursework by the stated deadlines 6. Be an attentive and active participant in class COURSE DELIVERY INTB 2205 will be delivered in-person and sessions will be recorded using Panopto. Class recordings will be made available to students after each session. Unforeseen circumstances notwithstanding, all sessions will be in-person on campus and the expectation is that students will attend classes in-person. Students who are unable to attend a class due to a university sanctioned reason (e.g., illness) should advise me prior to class (unless there are extenuating circumstances) and can view the recording of their class to enable them to catch up on sessions they have missed. The format of classes will either involve a seminar or a case discussion. During seminars, we will review the key concepts developed in the assigned readings and bring those concepts to life through real-world examples. Rather than being a formal "lecture," seminars will be a mixture of instructor -led and student- led discussions that build on the assigned readings and other materials. Therefore, it is very important for students to have engaged with all assigned readings and materials prior to each class. If any of the materials or concepts are difficult to comprehend, please bring your questions to class or make an appointment to meet with me during my office hours. Case discussions will focus on a real-world example of an organization dealing with the challenges of making business decisions in developed countries. Much of this discussion will be student-led, so your involvement in these discussions will be appreciated. As with most real-world problems, there is typically n o "right" or "wrong" answer to addressing these challenges. Instead, an important feature of our case discussions will be to understand the different choices available to business leaders and the potential consequences of the decisions they may make. Students will be expected to spend up to 8 hours per week on outside class preparation activities including engaging with readings and other course materials, responding to pre-class quizzes and case analyses, teamwork, and independent research.